Focusing camera



0. E. TRAUTMANN May 10, 1933.

FOCUS ING CAMERA Filed March 17, 1937 FIG.I

OTTO E TRAUTMANN INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented May 10, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,117,231FocUsI'No CAMERA Application March 17,

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to focusing cameras and more particularlyto focusing cameras of the rangeflnder type.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved camera. of the focusing rangeflnder type. Another object is toprovide a focusing rangeflnder type of camera. having an objectivefocusing knob permanently and rotatably mounted on the camera body. ,Afurther object is to provide a camera of the focusing rangefinder typein which the objective focusing mechanism and the rangeflnder mechanismare carried by the camera housing and in which the objective mountcarries a rangefinder actuating cam and connections for cooperating withthe objective focusing mechanism. These and other objects and advantagesreside in certain novel features of construction, arrangement andcombination of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth andpointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved camera with parts broken awayto show internal structure.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the focusing mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 6-5 of Fig. 2.

The embodiment illustrated in the drawing is an adaptation of myinvention to a' camera such as that described and claimed in U. S.application Serial No. 65,652 filed February 25, 1936 by Alan A. Cookand Otto E. Trautmann, and entitled 35 Focusing camera. It is to beunderstood, however, that this adaptation is only for the purpose ofillustration and that my invention may be used with various other typesof camera and rangeflnder.

In the embodiment shown, Ill designates, generally, a camera housingwithin which is mounted the shutter mechanism and film or plate holdingmechanism, not shown. The lens H is fixedly secured in an aperture inthe front wall i2 of the e housing l6 and the lens i3 is mounted on asupport II which is secured to a slide l6 movable in guides l6 securedto the front wall i2 of the housing III. A spring ll urges the slide 15in one direction. This structure is substantially identical with thatdescribed in the Cook and Trautmann application and therefore no furtherexplanation appears necessary.

The front wall I2 is provided with an objective receiving opening 16 anda plate I! having a central opening 26 is secured on the front wall I21937, Serial No. 131,415

in spaced relation thereto so that the opening 26 is 'in alignment withthe opening I8. As shown in Fig. 3, the plate i3 is secured to the walll2 by screws or .bolts 2i and spacing collars 22 surrounding the screwsor bolts 2! hold the plate l9 at the desired distance from the wall I2.

An annular gear is rotatably secured on the plate l3 by a ring 24 and isactuated by means of an adjustment wheel 25 through a train of gears 26,21 and 26., As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the adjustment wheel 25 ismounted on a shaft 29 so that it extends above the top of the housingIll in a convenient position for actuation by the operator. The shaft 29is journalled in the front wall I2 of the housing ill and carries thegear 26.

The objective indicated generally at 30 is carried by a sleeve 3| havinga threaded portion 32 engaging the threaded portion 33 of a secondsleeve 34. The sleeve 34 is preferably secured, on the front wall i2 bymeans of a locking ring 20 35 which engages lugs 35 on the sleeve 34 inthe manner disclosed in U. S. Patent 1,971,934 issued August 28, 1934 toO. E. Trautmann. Any other suitable form of attaching means could beused.

An annular cam 36 is rotatably mounted on the rear end of the sleeve 34within the housing Ill and is held against longitudinal movement by alock ring 31 threaded onto the sleeve 34. A pin 38 extends radiallythrough the cam 36 and through radial slot 39 in the sleeve 34 andprojects into a longitudinal slot 46 in the sleeve 3i. A second pin 4iis secured in the cam 36 and extends rearwardly into an aperture 42 inthe annular gear 23. The lens is thus focused by rotation of theadjustment wheel 25 which drives the annular gear 23 through gears 26.21 and 26. The cam 36 rotates with the gear 23 due to the pin 4| and thepin 36 causes the lens sleeve 3| to rotate in the sleeve 34. Theinteraction of the threaded portions 32 and 33 causes the objective 36to move axially for focusing. At the same time, the cam 36 moves thelens i3 of the rangefinder system in synchronism with the focusingmovement of the objective 36.

In changing objectives, it is essential that the objective be insertedso that the low point 43 of the cam 36 be in registration with the slidei5. For this reason a lug 44 is secured to the front wall l2 of thehousing Ill by means of a screw 46 so that it extends partially into the50 opening l6. The cam 36 is provided with a slot 46 permitting the cam36 to pass the lug 44 when the cam 36 is in proper position. Anyfocusing movement of the objective 3!! is accompanied by rotation of thecam 36 which causes the slot 46 48 urges the pin 4| toward the annulargear 23 and, when the objective mount is in suitable position' forwithdrawal, the pin 41 is in alignment with the aperture 42 and is heldout of the aperture 42 by the pin 4|. This position is illustrated inFig. 1. Upon removal of the objective 30, the pin 41 enters the aperture42 and locks the gear 23 against rotation.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, one of the attaching lugs35 is formed with a slot 50 for snugly receiving a pin 5| fixed on thefront wall l2 of the housing It). The objective mount can thus besecured on the wall I2 in only one position, the position in which theslot 50 engages the pin 5|. The pin 5| and slot 50, the lug 44 and slot46, and'the pin 4| and aperture 42 are so related that the objective 30can be removed only when in some predetermined focus position such asthe infinity focus position.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that l am able to attain heobjects of my invention and provide an improved camera of the focusingrangefinder type in which the focusing knob is in a readily accessibleposition and which is simple and efficient in operation. Variousmodifies tions can, of course, be made without departing from the spiritof my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a focusing camera, a housing having an objective receiving openingtherein, a support fixed within said housing adjacent said opening, anannular gear rotatably mounted on said sup= port in alignment with saidopening, means ei= tending outside of said housing for actuating saidannular gear, a rangefinder mechanism carried by said housing, saidmechanism having a movable actuating part adjacent the opening in saidhousing, an objective mount, said objective mount having a part which isrotatably mounted for focusing, a cam rotatably carried by said mountand interconnected with said rotatable part for rotation therewith,means on said cam for operating the movable. actuating part of saidrange= finder mechanism, and releasable means for oneratively connectingsaid cam and said annular gear.

2. In a focusing camera, a housing having an opening therein, a firstsleeve secured to said housing at said opening, a second sleeverotatably mounted within said first sleeve, means intercon meeting saidsleeves whereby rotation of said sec== 0nd sleeve causes longitudinalmovement thereof for focusing, a cam rotatably mounted on said firstsleeve, means interconnecting said cam to said second sleeve forrotation therewith, a rangeflnder mechanism carried by said housing,said mechanism having an operating part engaging said cam whereby saidrangeflnder movu in synchronism with said focusing movement, an annulargear rotatably mounted in said housin! in alignment with said opening,means interconnecting said annular'gear and said cam, and means forrotating said annular gear.

3. In a focusing camera, a housing having an opening therein, a firstsleeve secured to said housing at said opening, a second sleeverotatably mounted within said first sleeve, means interconnecting saidsleeves whereby rotation of said second sleeve causes longitudinalmovement thereof for focusing, a cam rotatably mounted on said firstsleeve, means interconnecting said cam to said second sleeve forrotation therewith, a rangefinder mechanism carriedby said housing, saidmechanism having an operating part engaglng said cam whereby saidrangefinder moves in synchronism with said focusing movement, an annulargear rotatably mounted in said housing in alignment with said opening,means interconnecting said annular gear and said cam, and meansfor'rotating said annular gear, said lastnamed means comprising anadjustment wheel rotatably carried by said housing and extendingpartially above the top thereof, and a driving connection between saidwheel and said annular gear.

In a focusing camera, a housing objective mount receiving opening, asleeve adapted to be secured on said housing said opening, means forpositioning said sleeve on said housing, a. second sleeve rotatablymounted in the first sleeve and extending into said housing, cam meansinterconnecting said sleeves whereby rotation of the second sleevecauses axial movement thereof, an objective carried said second sleeve,cam rotatably mounted on the first-named sleeve within the housing,means interconnecting said cam and said second sleeve so that theyrotate together, an annular gear rotatahly mounted in said housingcoaidally with said cam, means for rigidly connecting said cam and saidgear whereby rotation of said gear rotates said cam, means for rotatingsaid gear, a rangefinder mechanism carried by said housing, saidmechanism having a part movable for focusing, and means interconnectingsaid cam and said part where-by rotation of said cam separates saidmovable part.

having an OLE O

